ASEAN Presses Myanmar on Aung San Suu Kyi Health at First Post-Coup Meeting
ASEAN foreign ministers met their Myanmar counterpart for the first time since the 2021 coup as the bloc seeks to revive a stalled peace plan amid ongoing civil war, while separate conflicts in Gaza and between the US, Israel and Iran continued with new casualties and threats of further strikes. [1] [2] [3]
ASEAN Meeting with Myanmar
Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met in person with their Myanmar counterpart on Sunday for the first time since the coup. [1] The meeting took place in Bangkok as part of efforts to address the situation in Myanmar. [1] ASEAN's special envoy Maria Theresa Lazaro stated that the Myanmar foreign minister told the group that detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health and would be looked after. [1] Lazaro recalled the statement as emphasizing that Aung San Suu Kyi is a relative and a sister, and therefore would be taken care of. [1] The Philippine foreign minister has been seeking access to Aung San Suu Kyi. [1] Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow also participated in the informal meeting and noted that questions were raised about the status of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. [1]
Status of Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, 81, has been detained since her elected government was ousted in a 2021 military coup. [1] She is serving a 27-year sentence on a series of charges that her allies said were fabricated to keep her out of politics, including incitement, corruption, election fraud and violations of the state secrets law. [1] She has denied wrongdoing. [1] Her sentence was recently commuted by one-third. [1] Her whereabouts are unknown, but she had been transferred to a designated location. [1] ASEAN special envoy Maria Theresa Lazaro and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow pressed for access to meet Aung San Suu Kyi to verify the claims made by the Myanmar foreign minister. [1] Sihasak Phuangketkeow said that if the ASEAN special envoy could be given the opportunity to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, that would allow verification of the claims. [1]
ASEAN foreign ministers meet Myanmar counterpart in Bangkok to discuss Aung San Suu Kyi health. — Source: anadolu
Myanmar Peace Initiative
The top diplomats of the 11-member ASEAN bloc met their Myanmar counterpart in an effort to kick-start a five-year-old peace initiative that has failed to end a civil war gripping the country. [1] The conflict has killed an estimated 100,000 people and displaced several million more. [1] Myanmar's leadership has been banned from top-level ASEAN meetings since the military seized power because they failed to implement a five-point consensus peace plan agreed with the bloc. [1] The country has since April been led by a nominally civilian government following an election earlier this year. [1] Former chief Min Aung Hlaing is now president and has sought to normalise relations with ASEAN. [1] The meeting on Sunday represented the first in-person engagement with the Myanmar foreign minister since the coup, aimed at reviving the stalled plan. [1]
Gaza Casualties Despite Ceasefire
At least five more Gazans were killed by Israeli fire despite a ceasefire. [2] This brings totals since the ceasefire to 1,098 killed and 3,535 injured according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. [2] The additional deaths occurred from Israeli gunfire even after the ceasefire took effect. [2] Gaza’s Health Ministry provided the cumulative figures for the period following the ceasefire. [2]
Iran's supreme leader attends a meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers in Bangkok. — Source: africanews
US-Iran Tensions and Threats
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed revenge for the killing of his father Ali Khamenei and other officials in the war triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. [3] His written statement was read and carried by state television. [3] US President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire over but said negotiations would continue. [3] Trump demanded that Iran publicly affirm the Strait of Hormuz remains open and safe. [3] Iran insists on retaining control and charging ships. [3] Earlier, Trump upped threats of further missile attacks against Iran in comments on his Truth Social account. [3] Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Oman for more talks, while Qatari mediators separately traveled to Iran to meet with officials amid the regional strikes. [3]
Broader Regional Crossfire
US and Iranian leaders traded further threats as the interim deal to end the war buckles under repeated crossfire in the Middle East. [3] There had been multiple days of US airstrikes targeting Iran, as well as Iranian retaliatory fire targeting nations across the Middle East. [3] Those strikes had been sparked by Iran attacking three ships in the strait earlier this week. [3] Iranian attacks on ships and retaliatory strikes across the Middle East continued, with attacks reported on Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait as the interim deal buckles. [3] [4] Crowds at the funeral of Ali Khamenei called for the killing of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. [3]
What to watch next: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to continue talks in Oman while Qatari mediators pursue further meetings with Iranian officials amid ongoing regional strikes.
